BRUSSELS - Brussels’ mayor Freddy Thielemans held a welcome reception at the city’s century-old town hall for visiting representatives of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Sunday night.

The CPC delegation is in Brussels for the three-day China-Europe High-level Political Parties Forum, which started on Nov 7.

Brussels' mayor Freddy Thielemans (2nd left), Véronique De Keyser (center) vice-president of the S&D Group, and Li Jinjun (2nd right), vice-minister of the CPC Central Committee’s International Department, exchange greetings at Brussels' town hall Nov 6.  [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Thielemans, who is a former member of the European Parliament, said he had the pleasure of meeting Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping at the town hall back in October 2009. He remembered Xi spoke of the necessity of strengthening the links not only between Belgium and China but the European Union as a whole.

"We need more and more contact,” Thielemans said, “because each time we build a bridge, we get closer to understand each other."

Véronique De Keyser, vice-president of the European Parliament’s S&D group, also made a speech at the reception.

She said themed "China's 12th Five-Year Plan and Europe 2020 Strategy: New Opportunities and Prospects for China-Europe Cooperation", the forum the CPC delegation is going to attend is a great platform for European political parties and the CPC to compare these two plans.

"Especially during Europe's times of crisis," said De Keyser, "China-Europe relations mark not an end but a new start."

Li Jinjun, vice-minister of the CPC Central Committee's International Department, gives a speech at the reception on Nov 6.  [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Li Jinjun, vice-minister of the CPC Central Committee's International Department, spoke on behalf of the Chinese delegation at the reception. He said Beijing and Brussels are two important centers in the global village. Whereas the former is the capital city of the world's largest developing country, the latter is the heart of Europe. Coming all the way from Beijing to Brussels, Li said, the CPC representatives are expecting to discuss with their European counterparts how to overcome the global financial crisis together and seek mutual development.

Members of the CPC delegation attend a welcome reception hosted by the city of Brussels on Nov 6. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]